//------------------------------//
// Queen of the Night 
// Story: The Doctor Whooves Chronicles Episode 2: Queen of the Moon 
// by Doctor Perseus 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 6: Queen of the Night


The Moon of Gaia, 2000 C.E.

Separating Derpy's mind from the Queen's mind was certainly no easy feat. The Doctor could hardly remember the process of delving into Derpy's mind but he knew that he had been successful in his attempt. Everything was still blurry but his senses slowly began to return to him. It only took him a few seconds to realize that he was no longer in the destroyed subway car. He and Derpy were now in the middle of what appeared to be a tall observation tower. Computers and monitors of all sorts were scattered throughout the room. The ceiling was a large dome of glass and one of the wide walls was a massive window that overlooked the entirety of Moonbase One. Princess Luna was standing next to the window and was looking out upon the lonely surface of the Moon that lay beyond the safety of Moonbase One. The Princess sensed the Doctor's presence and turned around. She gave a sad smile.
"I'm glad to see that you're finally awake," she said.
"Perhaps you could fill me in on what's happened. I'm still a bit foggy on the details," the Doctor responded.
"You and Derpy have been out for at least an hour. I tried to separate you two but your hooves were glued to her head. I sought help from the soldiers to help the passengers of the subway accident and I took you here. This is the communication tower. I've already sent out word to my sister of what is happening...but I fear that there isn't enough time for her to arrive." Luna fell silent again and sighed. "I have to end this today, Doctor. She is still out there within close range of Moonbase One. She is weakened. I can sense this. I know I can finally put an end to this! I must put an end to this!" The Doctor heard Derpy give off a slight moan as she began to wake up. Luna giggled. "I'm glad you two are okay...and even if this ends in my demise...I was glad that I was able to see you two once again." With that said, Luna disappeared in a flash of blue light. 
"Ugh...my head," groaned Derpy as she finally awoke. The Doctor helped Derpy sit up.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I think I've seen better days, Doctor. Being possessed by a moon queen takes a lot out of ya." The Doctor smiled at the pegasus and patted her on the back. She turned to look him straight in the eye. "Don't feel bad, Doctor. You still kept your promise in the end."
"I guess I'm just glad that I didn't screw up this time."
"This time?" Just then, a massive explosion rang out from the Moon wasteland just a few miles outside of the moonbase. The Doctor looked through the window and could just make out the form of Princess Luna fighting against a large, dark creature. "Princess Luna."
"She'll be fine, Derpy."
"How? She's fought this Queen for centuries and she's never been defeated! The Princess is going to need our help, Doctor!" The Doctor looked at Derpy and gave a slight nod.
"I would do anything in my power to help Luna but I have no clue as to what weaknesses the Queen has." The Doctor and Derpy were silent for a moment. Derpy then gave the Doctor a tap on the shoulder. He turned to look at her. She had a spark in her eyes.
"I think I have an idea...but you're going to need to get me close to the Queen."
"I have a feeling that your plan is quite dangerous, Ms. Hooves."
"It is."
"But you're still willing to do it."
"Yes."
"Well, I am too."
"Then?" The Doctor wrapped one of his forelegs around one of Derpy's forelegs and smiled.
"Allons-y, Ms. Hooves."

Derpy and the Doctor ran as fast as they could through the hallways. There had to be a way to get out on the surface of the Moon. It was 2000 C.E. There just had to be a way. The Doctor led Derpy most of the way as he was able to understand most of the futuristic terms and directions seen on the signs. They eventually found their way into a place called the Launch Bay.
"Ah! Here we go!" said the Doctor as he approached a miniature spaceship that looked only big enough to fit three ponies at max. The Doctor hopped into the pilot's seat as Derpy hopped into the passenger's seat.
"How do we start this thing?" Derpy asked.
"From the looks of things, one would normally need a key but," The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver, "luckily we have a way to bend around the rules." He then pointed the Screwdriver at a little slot on the control panel and activated it. The ship flared to life. The doors closed with a soft hiss and a comfortable vibration began moving throughout the ship. The Doctor fiddled with the controls and grabbed onto the main steering wheel in front of him. "Never driven a ship with hooves before. Well, I guess there's a first time for everything!" The Doctor pulled up on the wheel and the ship proceeded to levitate into the air. A voice emanated from a nearby speaker.
"Please proceed to the air lock," stated the voice. The Doctor nodded and flew the ship through a nearby tunnel. Derpy could hear the sound of large, metal doors closing behind them. A large door opened in front of them to reveal the surface of the Moon. The Doctor sped up the ship and within seconds they were flying away from Moonbase One and across the lifeless Moon surface. 
Luna and the Queen were both going at each other with extreme ferocity. Derpy could feel her heart begin to race faster but this came from more or less a feeling of excitement rather than fear. 
"Perhaps you could fill me in on what you're planning to do," said the Doctor. 
"I'm going to try and be her weakness," Derpy replied.
"Come again?"
"Well, for a time, her mind and my mind were connected with each other. Even though the connection has been severed by you, I think it would be easy for one of us to make it again with enough effort." Derpy looked at the Doctor and she could tell that he was feeling a bit nervous about her plan. "I think, if I try hard enough, I can do to her what she did to me."
"You mean you're going to try and possess her?"
"Not really...just kind of stall her. Give Luna enough time to finish her off. I don't think the Queen has any physical weaknesses but-"
"Maybe we can try to access some of her psychological weaknesses!"
"Exactly!"
"Hmm...you're quite an intelligent mare, Ms. Hooves." Derpy could feel herself blush. The Doctor put the ship into a neutral mode, allowing them to levitate peacefully and watch as the battle swirled in front of them. Derpy began to breathe heavily. The Doctor placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. I'm sure." Derpy grabbed the Doctor's hoof and placed it on the side of her head. "But I think I'll need a bit of help." The Doctor smiled and nodded. Both Derpy and the Doctor took a deep breath and closed their eyes. Derpy focused all of her mental strength on accessing the Queen's mind. She could feel the Doctor's influence pushing her along. Her body seemed to melt away and be replaced by a feeling of pure weightlessness. A powerful urge came over Derpy to allow herself to spread out into a cloud of particles but she resisted the urge. She focused on the Doctor's push and she focused on finding her way towards the Queen. Through the darkness, a dim light appeared. Derpy reached for the light. With one, last push from the Doctor she reached forward and grabbed the light. She let out a loud gasp as a world began to form around her.
The darkness disappeared to be replaced by a vast ocean. Derpy was sitting on a single piece of rock that appeared to have been taken from the Moon's surface. Derpy looked down into the depths of the water. Their were patches of water where Derpy could see all the way down to the bottom of the ocean. Horrible monsters and horrific images swam around in the water's depths. Derpy refrained from looking at them. She had no interest in learning anything about the Queen's history. Derpy looked up. The sky was icy white with no clouds or sun. It was just a white sheet of a sky. Derpy thought back to the hill in her own subconscious and realized just how much she missed it. The ignorant bliss of freedom. She had the urge to dissipate again and travel back to the hill. The urge was much stronger here than it was in the dark void that she had traveled through. Something was trying to push this urge on her. Derpy couldn't allow herself to fall victim to this urge. The Queen was probably aware of the mental invasion and would do anything in her power to either push Derpy away or try to posses her once again. Derpy couldn't allow this to happen, but this was easier said than done. Derpy didn't like the ocean that represented the Queen's subconscious. It was cold, vast, and frightening. Occasionally, a terrible monster would rear its head up through he surface of the water. Horrible creatures that Derpy couldn't even find words to describe. They would never try and attack her. They would just stare at her. As if they were attempting to frighten her off. Some of the creatures were the size of large alicorns while some were the size of mountains. All of them did the same thing. They would surface, stare at Derpy, and then either sink below the waves or get pulled under by another monstrosity. 
Derpy tried her best to focus in on something. Anything would work. She had no idea what was happening in the world of the conscious or if her invasion was having any effect on the Queen. Anypony would think that being isolated in the middle of a vast, mental ocean would allow somepony to think easily...but this was not the case. Derpy found it incredibly hard to focus on anything. She was beginning to lose herself. However, just as she was about to give in, she once again felt the Doctor's hoof on her shoulder. She turned around and nopony was there. He wasn't in the ocean with her, but he was still with her on the outside world. He was staying by her and helping her so that she would be able to accomplish the goal she had set out to do. She wouldn't give up. This was for the Doctor, for Luna, for Moonbase One. She couldn't give up.
"I know what you're trying to do," taunted a familiar voice. Derpy looked up to see the dark outline of an alicorn descend its way towards her. The alicorn looked a lot like Nightmare Moon, instead with red eyes, tentacles extending from its back, and toxic poison dripping from its mouth. Derpy felt that she should be afraid but she wasn't. She stood up and stared at the alicorn as it descended towards the surface of the water. It came to a smooth stop just above the surface of the ocean a few yards from where Derpy's rock island was floating. "I have to admit that I am quite impressed, Derpy. I would not have expected one to invade my mind. But, no matter, you are no worry to me."
"I can stop you. I know I can," Derpy stated. The Queen smiled and laughed.
"How? What is your plan?"
"Invade your mind and wing it." Derpy extended her wings.
"You should have thought out your plan much more thoroughly."
"I guess...but where's the fun in that?" Derpy took off into the sky. "If I'm not that much of a problem, then you shouldn't have to work that hard to catch me." Derpy giggled as she gave her wings a big flap and flew up towards the sky. The Queen laughed and took off after her. Derpy flapped her wings as fast as she could. She had never worked herself to fly as fast as she currently was. She expected her body to grow tired quickly, but this didn't happen. In fact, she had more strength here than she ever had before. She assumed that this was because she was in a subconscious body versus her physical body. However, the Queen was definitely fast in her own right and was catching up to Derpy quickly. She had to think of something fast. "Come on, Derpy. Think! Think!" Then she got an idea. This was a world constructed from the Queen's subconscious. The Queen had been able to control and manipulate Derpy's subconscious...so why couldn't Derpy do the same? Derpy thought long and hard.
"What...how?!" Derpy heard the Queen ask. Derpy looked down and smiled. Land was beginning to appear instead of ocean. The Queen was definitely fighting back as the water and land clashed with each other. Derpy was so impressed by her feat that she forgot about the Queen catching up to her. Derpy yelped as the black alicorn grabbed onto her. Derpy could feel the urge to dissipate grow stronger than it had previously. There had to be a way out of this. Then she thought back to her meeting with the other Doctor. The subconscious wasn't a dream...but it sure acted like one. Maybe...Derpy could call for help. Derpy closed her eyes and focused.
"Please, Doctor. If you can hear me...I could really use some help right now," Derpy said under her breath. Derpy heard the Queen yelp and Derpy opened her eyes. The other Doctor had materialized on the Queen's back.
"Other Doctor!" Derpy cried. She then gave a slight frown. "I was kind of hoping for the real Doctor."
"Now that's not very nice! Besides, your Doctor is using most of his mind to focus on keeping the Queen from smashing the ship to the ground! I'm the only help you've got right now, Ms. Hooves," stated the Other Doctor.
"I'll take what I get, I suppose." The Queen looked at the Other Doctor and tried to knock him off. The Other Doctor crawled up onto the Queen's head and wrapped what Derpy suddenly identified as hands around the Queen's temple. 
"You like invading other's minds and learning their memories, eh?" asked the Other Doctor. "How about getting a taste of some of mine?" Golden light began pouring from the Queen's eyes. Derpy could see several random images flash before her: a planet getting destroyed by a star, moving statues, monsters in armor, planets in the sky, water monsters, a spider creature, and even a wasp the size of a teenage dragon. The Queen gave a great shove and knocked the Other Doctor off her back. She then proceeded to let go of Derpy and wrap her hooves around her head. Derpy flew down and grabbed onto the Other Doctor.
"Got you!" Derpy cried.
"Thanks!" said the Other Doctor. The Queen continued to scream and holler as golden energy poured from her eyes, ears, and mouth.
"Your memories must be pretty scary, Doctor."
"You've got no idea." Suddenly, a powerful shockwave shot through the air around them. The Queen began breaking apart like an aged statue and the land and water beneath them began to become black like tar.
"What's happening?!" asked Derpy.
"I think you allowing me to show the Queen my memories has created the stall that you wanted," replied the Other Doctor. "Time to wake up again." Derpy watched as the Other Doctor disappeared. A wave of warmth rushed over her, the world around her disappeared into darkness, and she woke up once again.

The Doctor pulled the ship to the side as another large tentacle swung at him. Luna was trying her best to keep the Queen from attacking him and Derpy but she could only take on so many tentacles at once. It was pretty hard flying a ship with one hoof on the wheel and the other glued to Derpy's skull. The Doctor could feel a part of his subconscious getting pulled into Derpy and projected to a far off location, but he didn't focus on this feeling for he had to focus on keeping the Queen from knocking him to the ground. Just then, a golden shockwave emanated from the Queen and stalled her for a few seconds. Luna flew in and disappeared in the dark cloud surrounding the Queen. There was another great explosion of light as the Doctor watched the dark cloud and the tentacles disintegrate into nothing. The Doctor imagined that a loud roar would have been heard if not for the vacuum outside. The Doctor took a quick note about how impressed he was that there was magic in this world that allowed one such as Luna to breathe in space. He didn't focus on this long for a sharp pain rang out through his hoof and head as Derpy returned to the world of the awake.
"Mission accomplished?" the Doctor asked as he rubbed his temple.
"I think so," Derpy replied as she gave long, tired breaths. The Doctor and Derpy watched as the dark cloud in front of them slowly faded away into nothing. All that remained of the Queen was a patch of black tar. The tar slowly faded away as Luna stood over it. Luna then levitated up and smiled at the Doctor and Derpy. Luna's voice echoed through their ship.
"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you, Derpy. I know you two had something to do with this," she said.
"Maybe," teased the Doctor.
"Possibly," teased Derpy. Derpy looked towards the spot where the black tar had been. "Princess, is she really gone this time?"
"Yes. I can't sense her anymore. I am one hundred percent certain that she is no more," Luna replied. "I've finally fully reclaimed my Moon."
"Well, when you think about it, the Queen of the Moon could never stand a chance against the Queen of the Night," said the Doctor. Luna giggled and Derpy rolled her eyes.
"You mean Princess of the Night," Derpy corrected.
"Oh shut it, Ms. Hooves." Derpy smiled and laughed in response to the Doctor.
"Come. My soldiers need to learn that the danger has passed...and I'm sure that the two of you could use a rest," said Luna.
"You too," added the Doctor. Luna giggled again.
"Yes...a rest sure sounds nice after all of this."